Plural-note-sheet mechanism.



G. K. HENNIG'.

PLURAL NOTE SHEET MECHANISM.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 24 1913- Y 1,216,448. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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PLURAI. NOTE SHEET MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT. 24. 1913.

Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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PLURAL NOTE SHEET MECHANISM. APPLxcATioN man simu. |913.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV KARL HEN N IG, 0F BHLITZ EHREN BERG, NEAR LEIPZIG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE FIRM OF LUDWIG HUPFELD, A.G.

GERMANY.

BHLITz, EHRENBERG NEAR LEIPZIG,

PLURAL-NOTE-SHEET MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Application filed September 24, 1913. Serial No. 791,543.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GUs'rAv KARL HEN- Nio, a subject of the King of Saxony, residing at l Bielastrasse, Bhlitz Ehrenberg, near Leipzig, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plural- Note-Sheet Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

My invention relates to playing mechanism for pneumatically actuated musical instruments in connection with a plurality of note sheets, and may be termed broadly plural note sheet mechanism.1

The broad idea of using a plurality of note sheets is well known.

My invention has for its object to effect the movements of the plural note sheets either independently or simultaneously.

The control of the note sheets whereby they are caused to travel either simultaneously or separately, is accomplished either by the note sheets themselves or by the person playing' the instrument.

The note sheets may control the playing of the same sounding apparatus or of diferent sounding apparatus, so thathfor eXample, a solo and an accompanying instrument may be played, as a piano and a violin, iiute, or the like.

The note sheets may also act to mutually synchronize one another.

In the accompanying drawings the essentiel features embodying my invention are shown in one type of apparatus, and in said drawin gS- v Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus in connection with the tracker bars and the note sheet motors.

Fig. 2 shows portionsof each note sheet of a pair perforated for synchronizing.

Fig. 3 shows other portions of the same pair of note sheets for solo and accompaniment playing.

Fig. 4, illustrates the mechanism in con-A nection with electrically driven note sheet rolls. e

The instrument illustrated in Fig. l as a type, is constructed for the simultaneous use of two note sheets. However, any number of note sheets may be cordinately used, it being simply necessary to increase the number of related parts, as the tracker bars, note sheet motors, and the like.

In the instrument shown there are two note sheet chests, a, and Z), having respectively, tracker bars c and CZ, and motors e and f, which may be the usual wind motors, for operating the note sheet rolls in a well known manner.

By the aid of controlling pneumatics and controlling valves, a simultaneous synchronized movement of the two note sheets may be accomplished, or the movement of either note sheet, at will.

In order to attain the synchronous or asynchronous travel of the note sheets this may be automatically controlled by the note sheets themselves, which are provided at a suitable point with control perfor-ations, for example, at the side of the sheet, at the middle of the sheet, or at any other position transversely of the sheet that may be chosen, the perforations extending longitudinally of the several sheets, and the perforations in the row of each sheet being the same distance apart, except for purposes hereinafter specified.

If one of the note sheets is to remain stationary and the other to continue the playing, then the control perforations of the sheet that is to continue its movement are not continuous, and are omitted for the distance required to perform the individual or solo part of the music. f

The tracker bars for the several note sheets each have a special opening over which the control perforations of the sheet pass. These openings are shown at E and F on the drawings.

The openingsL E and F connected by conduits or which tubes are connected and z', 1c, respectively. The m and c control the control n to the members matic P.

The member g connecting the movable members p g of the double pneumatic P is provided with a pin or lug Q2 arranged to travel between spring-urged valves 1' and 8 that control the admission of outside air to the conduits t and u, both connected to a valve chest W, having two double valves o, w, and a", y. The conduit t terminates at a membrane o for controlling the double valve c, w, and the conduit u terminates in a membrane ai for controlling the double valve m y.

The double valve v w controls a conduit 1 Q. miente that leads to a membrane 2 of a valve 2, While the double .valve w y controls a conduit 3 to a membrane 4 of a valve 4. Valves 2 and l control the conduits 5 and 6, leading respectively to pneumatics 7 and S. rlllie pneumatics 7 and S operate. double valves .9 and lO, ivhich in turn control the conduits ll and l2 leading to the motors c and for the note sheet rolls.

The apparatus operates as follows, in connection with note sheets A and B having their control pertorations C D arranged at equal intervals, as shown in Fig. Q, the note sheets traveling in the direction of the arrovv.

rllhe control Vpertoiations C are for convenience arranged at the sides of the sheets and cooperate with the tracker-bar openings E and F respectively. As long as the note sheets A and B travel in synchronism their control pertorations C and D simultaneously pass over their respective tracker-bar openings ll and F, so that the pressures existing in the two sides oi' the double pneumatic P remain equal and it is maintained in its middle position. ln other Words the pin Q2 does not operate the valves 7" and s by reason of the simultaneous inilation oi membrane i and Z, resulting in the simultaneous lifting or' valves 7c and m to place the members p g' oi? the double pneumatic P through their passages u 0 under the same suction, namely the suction existing in chambers i and Z. As soon as a control perforation C or D of one of the note sheets A or B registers with its tracker bar opening E or F slightly ahead of the other, the double pneumatic F is at once actuated.

lf for example, as shoivn in Fig. 2, the perforation C registers with the opening E slightly in advance of the registration of the corresponding perforation D of sheet B with its tracker bar opening F, outside air is admitted through tube g to lift valve m and place the member Q of the double pneumatic P under suction, and thereby move the rod Q so that its pin Q2 will open the springclosed valve r, Fig.` l. Outside air is thus admitted to conduit t and membrane o to litt the double valve o w to admit outside air to conduit l to intlate the membrane 2 and litt valve 2, cutting ott the outside airl from conduit and placing said conduit and its connected pneumatic 7 under suction. The collapse et pneumatic 7 raises double valve 9, so that outside air will be admitted to conduit l1 to the Wind motor e, which, no longer being under suction Amomentarily stops the motor and the note sheet A driven thereby. VThis action lasts only an instant that is to say, only until the corresponding control perforation D oit the other note sheet B has been moved to its` tracker bar opening F, whereupon, outside air is admitted to conduit 7L to inii ate membrane z', raise valve 72 and place p also under suction, whereupon pneumatic P again assumes its normal or middle position, valve r is closed, and both note sheets again travel simultaneously until one or the other ot the note sheets advances, whereupon the synchronizing again takes place.

From what has previously been described the travels of the note sheets have been synchronized, but the mechanism is not limited in its action to synchronizing only, but will permit, with suitable arrangement ot the control pertorations C. D. any desired extent of travel of either note sheet While the other remains stationary. Note sheets. perforated for this purpose are illustrated in Fig. 3. Y

Ilhe note sheet A has control pertorations C like the note sheet A, Fig. 2, arranged in regular succession, but the note sheet B has the control perforations D omitted for a considerable distance, indicated at G. The omission of the perforations D for the distance G in sheet B causes the note sheet A to remain stationary until the note sheet B has traversed the distance Cf and the following perforation D registers With the tracker bar opening F.

Exactly the same mechanism is used as described in connection with Fig. 2, as the Wind motor e is vented to the atmosphere and stops until the Jfollowing perforation D in sheet B again causes the double pneumatic F to assume middle position, Whereupon VVboth motors are placed under suction. ln this manner one or the other set of sounding mechanisms may be temporarily rendered inoperative.

For example, it one of the note sheets controls the playing of a violin, and the other the playing oi a piano to accompany the violin, then during a pause or rest in the violin playing, the violin controlling note sheet will remain stationary, and vice versa, the piano controlling note sheet may remain stationary during a pause or restY in the piano music.

Heretotore it has been necessary that both note sheets should travel, both during the pause and during the playing, so that, for example, in a violin solo, accompanied by a piano, the violin controlling note sheet, Where not perforated for playing` the violin, would be simply blank paper for a greater. or less distance that passed over the trackerbar requiring povver to be supplied to the ivind Vmotor orcausing the travel of the sheet, and anV unnecessary use of paper, causing` the sheet to be unnecessarily long.

This invention renders it possible to use Vnote sheets only olf such .lengthv as is actually required V'lior producing the tones, as the sheet remains stationary Where there are pauses or rests, and thereby considerable motive power is saved.

Several instruments, With their note sheets '130 and motors can be suitably actuated in this manner as Well as synchronized.

The control may be manual only, if desired, or both manual and automatic. For manual operation the double pneumatic P may be moved by hand, so that the player can thus operate either valve, 1' or s, to cause the corresponding note sheet to remain stationary.

To this end I have shown the rod g connected by a link 20 to a lever 21 mounted at any point Within convenient reach of the operator. It is, of course, obvious that instead of using a single lever and connections with the double pneumatics, any other lever arrangement may be used for venting the motors to the atmosphere and cutting oil' heir suction connection.

15 and 16 are clutches in the driving connection between the motors e and f and the driven note sheet rolls. The clutch 16 is operated by pneumatic 14 connected by conduit 17 to conduit 5. The clutch 15 is operated by pneumatic 13, connected by conduit 18 to conduit 6, so that the clutches may be simultaneously actuated when their motors are vented to the atmosphere. In case the note sheet rolls are driven by electric motors (Fig. 4), then all the pneumatic mechanism beyond the conduits 5 and 6 may be omitted and the conduits 17 and 18 for operating the clutches are substituted for the conduits 5 and 6. The electric motors M are not stopped, but simply uncoupled.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument, the combination with a pair of music sheets having synchronizing perforations, and unperforated solo control portions; of mechanism for actuating the music sheets under the control of both sheets whereby the unperforated portion of one sheet While playing its solo part Will cause the other sheet to remain stationary.

2. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument the combination with a plurality of note sheets having perforate and imperforate control portions arranged in longitudinal rows, said perforated portions having regularly spaced perforations and the imperforate portions varying in length, of pneumatic sheet tracking mechanisms for said note sheets, and a pneumatic mechanism under the control of said perforations and controlling said tracking mechanism.

3. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument the combination With a plurality of note sheets, said note sheets each having a single row of side hole control perforations regularly spaced, and one or more of said sheets having imperforate portions in said roW in accordance With the length of the solo part of said sheet, of a pneumatic device under the control of the perforations in all of the sheets, and a tracking mechanism for each sheet controlled by said device.

4. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument, trackers, a registration means in each tracker, a plurality of note sheets having perforated and unperforated portions in position to pass over said means, said perforated portions having regularly spaced perforations, a double pneumatic controlled by the perforations in said note sheets maintained inoperative When the latter travel synchronously and operated When said sheets do not travel synchronously, a pneumatic mechanism for operating each note sheet, and a single actuating member controlled by the double pneumatic for controlling the operation of said operating mechanism.

5. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument, trackers, a registration means in each tracker, a plurality of note sheets having perforated and unperforated portions in position to pass over said means, said perforated portions having regularly spaced perforations, a double pneumatic controlled by the perforations in said note sheets maintained inoperative When the latter travel synchronously and operated when said sheets do not travel synchronously, a pneumatic mechanism for operating each note sheet, a valve for controlling the operation of each pneumatic mechanism, and a single valveactuating member carried by the double pneumatic.

6. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument using a plurality of note sheets and pneumatic motor mechanism; pneumatic mechanism controlled by perforations in said sheets to independently and simultaneously vent said motors to the atmosphere at Will.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification, two subscribing Witnesses.

GUSTAV KARL HENN IG.

Witnesses EMIL GEUDTNER, RUDOLPH FRIGKER.

signed my in the presence of Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

